The pacing is confusing, but the main character is well written. There were lots of useless and confusing convos. This book has potential but it was waaaay too slow for me.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I wanted in a slow burn horror concept and how it was told. Ian Chorao has a great writing style and I am excited for more from them. The concept was everything that I wanted and I thought it worked well in the horror genre. The characters had that element that I was looking for and worked with the spooky atmosphere of this. I thought this worked well as showing Sally's grief and madness and was invested in what was happening.

When We Talk to the Dead is a tale of psychological trauma and grief intertwined with a hint of supernatural mystery. When Sally da Gama makes a decision to return to her childhood home on Captain's Island - a home and life she cannot remember details of - with her friends, they find out how cursed a grief-stricken location can become.

I honestly do not understand the claims that this novel was "too slow" to finish or enjoy. We are introduced to the five main characters, their personalities, traits, and relationships with each other to understand their purposes within the narrative. Once they arrive on the island, these established relationships start to show cracks as true feelings and thoughts are slowly revealed within their isolated stay.

The terror of the supernatural builds from there, enveloping the story into a foggy shroud of mystery. There were things that happened (spoilers) that I was not expecting, and they kept me continuing to read to find out what happens next. The consecutive twists at the end made me have a giant "OH" moment as their reveal were well executed and plausible.

Once things started to pick up within the plot, I had the distinct sensation of reading a story that was derailing into a teen horror movie in a naturally moving way (this is not a negative). I came into this book expecting a mediocre slowburn horror based on quick glances at the reviews but came away pleased that I gave this book its due turn.

What I Enjoyed:
- main character Sally definitely has some psychological trauma/grief issues that make her feel distant from everything that is happening -- makes her an interesting protagonist
- slowly creeping horror that remains long after the story ends
- twisty plot twists that made me give audible "OH" moments while reading
- fleshed out teen characters who both embody and throw off stereotypical teen archetypes for horror-based media

this novel was pretty good, but i found the ending a little bit too strangely done, as the elements were barely there beforehand. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I really enjoyed the story buildup, the atmosphere, and the main protagonist; they were all well done and kept me interested. However, the pacing felt a bit too slow for my taste. I'm not saying the book doesn't have potential, but the slow pace caused me to lose focus several times.

I really gave this one a chance by reading it all but unfortunately if this wasn't an e-arc I would probably have DNF'd it. It was such a slow book, nothing happened until 70% of the way through. It takes slow to another level.

There was potential there but unfortunately I don't think this was one for me.

I really tried to like this one, but unfortunately, despite knowing it would be a slowburn, it was a bit TOO much of a slowburn for my personally. There wasn't an awful lot happening throughout the story, and it left me quite bored at most of the times in the book.

**First Person ARC Review: *When We Talk to the Dead* by Ian Chorao**

*When We Talk to the Dead* completely blindsided me—in the best way. I expected eerie and maybe a little melancholy, but what I got was a surreal, grief-soaked descent into memory, madness, and the thin places between worlds. This book doesn’t just flirt with the supernatural—it dives straight into it, dragging you along as reality bends and frays at the edges.

From the start, I felt like I was slipping into a fever dream. The narration is hypnotic—disorienting at times, yes, but purposefully so. I was never quite sure what was real and what was memory or ghost or guilt, but that uncertainty made the reading experience electric. It’s the kind of story where atmosphere *is* the story. Every room, every flicker of light, every silence feels charged with meaning.

At its core, though, this book is about grief—deep, aching grief that distorts everything it touches. It’s about what we carry after loss, what we’re willing to believe in order to cope, and how far we’ll go to feel close to someone we’ve lost. It’s haunting in more ways than one, and it made me think as much as it unsettled me.

If you're looking for a tidy ghost story, this isn’t it. But if you want something that feels like it’s whispering to you from the other side—lyrical, unnerving, and emotionally raw—*When We Talk to the Dead* is a stunning, spectral journey worth taking.

The narrative was not for medespite the story having good things in it.
I felt confused and the pace was weird

I wasn't at first sure that I would like this book. The context of the writing was off for me until it wasn't. It began to make total sense coming from Sally, who struggles with differnt forms of mental illness. It read the way I assume her mind to be thinking. It all began with tragic events early on in her life causing her to not remember that part of her life.
When her mother suddenly passes, she with a few of her friends agree to visit the now uninhabited island where Sally first lived. It's there, things take a turn for the worse and they become the hunted. The few twists near the ending and at the end gripped me.
quickly took to Sally. She is in a very fragile place mentally but is courageous enough to follow through with finding her past. The more I read, the deeper I became in the story. A great horror/thriller, slow burn but satisfying.
Thank you to NetGalley for the this ARC.

DNF @ 15%. This is described as a slow burn, but it was just too slow to catch my attention. Will likely work fine for other readers who appreciate atmosphere over pace.

I really wanted to like this book. I almost DNFed it several times, but I decided to stick through it. It has a wonderful plot...just poor execution. The characters were pretty well written with decent back stories, but there was I believe limited character growth in this novel. My biggest gripe was that nothing happened until like 85-90 percent into the novel. The author set up the backstory to the island, why the family fled, the character backstory, but when they gotten to the island like maybe 30 percent into the novel...from my memory, it was nothing until the end of the book. On the island, there were whole chapters about arguments, what happened during mealtimes, or full conversations...a little about the perspective of the monster...something in the middle about some character dying, which was the last bit of action or spook until the end, but a lot of that could had been shortened to just further progress the thriller/ horror part of the novel. The ending was a bit predictable and I found it confusing and a bit disappointing. I read the ending several times and will have to again on a clearer mind, but I just couldn't interpret it.

I would have to put this in young adult horror/ thriller genre for those looking for a YA book instead of adult horror/ thriller.

I was all. in. on the premise of When We Talk to the Dead. The setting, the backstory, the characters — it's everything I love in a mystery. However, the writing style was not for me. I appreciate when authors commit to a unique voice — and this one really stood out — but it pulled me away from the plot.

This book started off promising and while it had creepy atmospheric vibes, I felt like I was reading a whole lot of nothing. I am probably just not the target audience for this book.

When We Talk to the Dead had a promising premise with an abandoned island with some weird history surrounding it and I was hyped for all that but it unfortunately just didn't live up to my expectations. There was a whole lot of nothing going on and even when things started to pick up nothing was all that exciting. The twist was weird and interesting and I enjoyed our main character Sally as she was determined to find out more about her past. Unfortunately this storyline just wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped and the creepy vibes just weren't there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of When We Talk to the Dead.

"Perfect for fans of Iain Reid". Iain Reid is my all time favorite author so when I see this, #1. I am definitely reading it, and #2 it better be incredible. Let me tell you...this was NOT it. Nothing happened for 90% of this book. The characters were one-deminsional, annoying and idiotic. There were so many superfluous details that didn't contribute in any way to the story line.

Not even in the same universe as an Iain Reid book and one of my least favorite reads of the year. Rant over, sorry (but not really)

1.5 stars

Sally returns to the abandoned island off the coast of Maine, where her family lived when she was a young child. She remembers little about what happened there that last year they were in residence, all she knows is that her mother has not spoken since Sally’s sister died there. She goes back to the island with a group of college friends expecting to have a fun, creepy weekend and to face the fears that have caused her anxiety since that long ago day. Creepy and the atmospheric, this is the perfect beach read

When We Talk to the Dead by Ian Chorao delivers a gripping mix of psychological suspense and supernatural intrigue that keeps you guessing until the very end. Nineteen-year-old Sally de Gama returns to Captain’s Island, a remote Maine haunt, with her college friends — but for her, this trip is anything but a carefree adventure. It’s a desperate quest to peel back the layers of her shattered past and uncover the truth behind a childhood tragedy she cannot remember. Chorao masterfully weaves a tense atmosphere, blending ghostly whispers with Sally’s spiraling anxiety and dissociation. As memories begin to surface, they come tangled with nightmares and disturbing visions, suggesting that the horrors on the island are more than just psychological. Is Sally’s mind playing tricks, or is something truly malevolent lurking in the shadows? The story’s pacing is relentless, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the last page. The characters are compelling, especially Sally’s fragile yet fierce determination to confront her past — though some may wish for a bit more depth to her friends’ backgrounds. The island itself becomes a character, shrouded in secrets and dark memories that threaten to swallow the protagonists whole. While the novel hits many high notes in suspense and atmospheric chilling, it occasionally dips into familiar horror tropes, preventing it from reaching five-star brilliance. Still, Chorao’s skillful storytelling and haunting visuals make When We Talk to the Dead a solid read for fans craving psychological horror with a supernatural twist. Overall, a compelling, creepy journey worth 3.5 stars — rounded up — for those willing to face their own fears along with Sally.